Abstract

Hydrocephalus can impact all areas of health, including physical, cognitive, and social-emotional functioning. The social-emotional health of children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus is not well characterized. This study examined social-emotional and behavioral functioning using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) and the Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire (HOQ) in children aged 5-17 years old. BASC-3 parent report scores were compared to the BASC-3 normative sample using one-sample t-tests to evaluate overall social-emotional functioning. BASC-3 scores were correlated with the social-emotional domain of the HOQ using Pearson's r to determine if the HOQ accurately captures the social-emotional functioning of children with hydrocephalus in a neurosurgery setting. BASC-3 and HOQ scores of children with different etiologies of hydrocephalus were compared using one-way ANOVAs. Children with hydrocephalus of all etiologies had more difficulties with social-emotional functioning compared to normative populations, but there were no differences in functioning between etiologies. The social-emotional domain of the HOQ correlated more strongly with the BASC-3 than did the physical and cognitive domains. These results provide evidence that children who have had surgery for their hydrocephalus may be at increased risk of social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, but etiology may not be particularly helpful in predicting what kinds or degree of difficulty. This study also supports the content and divergent validity of the social-emotional domain of the HOQ.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

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